Apparatus for producing impulse liquid jets

ABSTRACT

The apparatus comprises a cylinder with a ram dividing the cylinder into two chambers, one admitting compressed gas and the other a liquid under pressure. Accelerated by compressed gas, the ram delivers an impact to the liquid contained in a high-pressure chamber contiguous with the second chamber of cylinder and spouted out in a jet through a passage in this chamber. The ram is returned into its initial position by a liquid fed into the second chamber of cylinder; secured in the first chamber of cylinder is a controllable arrangement for arresting the ram, as reset ready for operation, during the period required to discharge the liquid from the second chamber by the moment the ram starts its movement due to the action of compressed gas.

United States Patent Petrakov et al.

[ Jan. 15, 1974 APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING IMPULSE LIQUID JETS Inventors: Alexandr Ivanovich Petrakov,

prospekt Zoi Kosmodemyanskoi, 35; Nikolai Grigorievich Vereskunov, ulitsa Universitetskaya, kv. 39; Mikhail Mitroianovich Galitenko, ulitsa Planovaya 2, all of Donetsk, USSR.

[58] Field of Search 23978SETWTOZQPPTI? 3,237,568 3/l966 Morgan et al. .4 239/90 X Primary Examiner-Robert S. Ward, Jr.

Attorney.lohn C. Holman et al.

57 ABSTRACT The apparatus comprises a cylinder with a ram dividing the cylinder into two chambers, one admitting compressed gas and the other a liquid under pressure.

Accelerated by compressed gas, the ram delivers an impact to the liquid contained in a high-pressure chamber contiguous with the second chamber of cylinder and spouted out in a jet through a passage in this chamber.

The ram is returned into its initial position by a liquid fed into the second chamber of cylinder; secured in the first chamber of cylinder is a controllable arrangement for arresting the ram, as reset ready for operation, during the period required to discharge the [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS liquid from the second chamber by the moment the 2 530 '28 11/1950 M I 239/88 X ram starts its movement due to the action of as in er 2,871,796 2 1959 Dreisin et al. 239/88 x compressed 3,207,442 7 9/1965 Hessler et a1. 239/92 5 Claims, 2 Drawing Figures )7 l 2 I! w 0 i PATENTED JAN 1 5 I97 sum 1 or 2 The invention relates to the apparatuses for producing super-high liquid pressure, commonly termed impulse water jets, in which a ram accelerated in a cylinder due to the action of compressed air acts on a liquid contained in the cylinder so as to spout it under a pressure through an opening in a stream capable of doing work.

More specifically, the present invention relates to the apparatuses in which the resetting (returning) of the ram into its original position after an impact is accomplished by means of a liquid.

The present invention may be embodied to advantwo chambers; the first of said chambers is connected to a vessel with compressed gas used to accelerate the I ram and the second of said chambers is connected to a source of a liquid fed into said chamber under a pressure to reset the ram into the position ready for operation and discharged by. the moment the ram starts to move in the first chamber; arranged adjacent to the second chamber is a chamber filled with a liquid under high pressure and provided with an axial passage through which the liquid is discharged in a stream due to the impact of the ram accelerated by means of the compressed gas.

While the ram is accelerated to a velocity required to produce an impulse, the second chamber before the ram must be free from the liquid; to that end, in known apparatuses an attempt has been made to arrest the 5 ram after resetting for a period enabling the liquid to discharge from said chamber.

This is accomplished in particular by arranging a nonreturn throttle valve in the rear end face of the ram.

There are also arresting mechanisms which move inside the cylinder chamber filled with compressed air and combine the functions of resetting the ram with .selfrelease of the ram after the resetting.

Yet, these arrangements practically fail to arrest the ram after the resetting for a period of reasonably long duration and have no means for the automatic control of the period during which the ram remains arrested. As a result, the known apparatuses are incapable of controlling the delivery rate of impulse liquid jets simultaneously with providing for an invariable force of their impact.

The aim of the present invention is to improve an apparatus for producing impulse liquid jets in which the ram is arrested, on being reset into the position ready for operation, in a manner assuring a force of impact strong enough to break hard rock and a controllable rate of delivery of the jets.

This and other aims are achieved in that, according to the invention, secured inside the first chamber of the cylinder close to its rear end face there is a controllable device intended to arrest the ram, as reset into the position ready for operation, for a period during which the liquid is being discharged from the second chamber of the cylinder.

It is advisable that the arrangement for arresting the ram comprises a detent mechanism contained in a body :located co-axially with the cylinder and provided with radial ports in which said detents move so as to interact with a projection in a recess provided in the rear end face of the ram.

For the purpose of controlling the detent mechanism, it is advisable that its body has an axial through passage moving inside which there is a pusher whose internal end face interacts with the bottom of the recess in the rear end face of the ram and whose side surface has chamfers interacting with the detents in the course of axial movements.

According to an embodiment of the invention, the pusher interacts through the intermediary of its rod with the piston of a hydraulic controlled by a slide valve and linked with a time relay mechanism.

The time relay mechanism may comprise three hydraulic cylinders operated in succession and fitted with rods adjustable for length.

The invention will be best understood from the fol lowing description of a possible embodiment when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawing which is a schematic diagram of an apparatus for producing impulse liquid jets; the drawing consists of two FIGS. (FlG. land FIG. I) joined at the lines l-l and l'l' (longitudinal section).

The apparatus, according to the invention, comprises a cylinder 1 containing a ram 2'with a rod 3 which reciprocates in the bore of the cylinder 1, dividing the bore into two chambers 4 and 5.

The first behind-the-ram chamber 4 of the cylinder 1 communicates with a vessel with compressed air, termed hereinafter a receiver 7, via ports 6.

The second before-the-ram chamber 5 of the cylinder 1 is permanently connected via a supply line 8 with a throttle valve 9 to a source of liquid (not shown) under pressure.

Adjoining co-axially the before-the-ram chamber 5 of the cylinder 1 there is a high-pressure chamber 10 with an axial through passage [1 moving inside which are the rod 3 of the ram 2 and a floating piston 12.

Since in operation the pressure in the chamber 10 is many times that in the before-the-ram chamber 4 filled with gas, the walls of the chamber 10 are of doublelayer construction to assure adequate thickness.

Secured by a nut 13 to the front end face of the highpressure chamber 10 is a nozzle 14 arranged co-axially with said chamber 10 and provided with an axial through passage communicating with the passage 11 of the chamber 10 and serving the purpose of spouting out the jets of liquid.

In said passage 1 l a high-pressure space 16 if formed between the floating piston 12 and the nozzle 14.

Held fast to the outside end face of the nut 13 is a resetting mechanism 17 comprising a body 18 and a slide block 19 which moves in the body bore .so as to place the passage 15 of the nozzle 14 in communication with the liquid supply line 8 at regular intervals and to open the passage at the instant of producinga jet.

The throttle valve 9 in the supply line 8 controls the flow of liquid into both the high-pressure space 16 (via the passage in the nozzle 14) and the before-the-ram chamber 5 of the cylinder 1 which is reached through passages 20 in the high-pressure chamber 10.

The slide block 19 can move in the bore of the body 18 under the action of two pistons 21 and 22, the piston 21 being accommodated in the bore of a hydraulic cylinder 23 connected to a hydraulic unit 25 through a line 24 and the piston 22 being located in the bore of a pneumatic cylinder 26 communicating with the receiver 7 via a line 27.

The wall of the cylinder 1 at the end where the highpressure chamber 10 is located is provided with ports 28 which serve to discharge the liquid from the beforethe-ram chamber of the cylinder 1.

These ports 28 are closed periodically by a sliding sleeve 29 slipped on the cylinder 1 and reciprocating axially due to the action of two power cylinders 30 each connected with one of its spaces 30a to the receiver 7 and with the other, 30b, to the hydraulic unit 25.

THe receiver 7 comprises a cylindrical chamber embracing the cylinder 1 at its rear end face and held fast in place by a collar 31 which is bolted to the receiver 7 by bolts 32 and nuts 33. Projections 34 on the collar 31 engage indentations 35 in the cylinder 1 so as to prevent the displacement of the receiver 7 with respect to the cylinder 1.

Contained in the behind-the-ram chamber 4 of the cylinder 1 close to the rear end face 36 of the cylinder there is, according to the invention, a controllable device 37 for arresting the ram 2 after the latter has been reset into the position ready for operation.

Said device 37 comprises, according to the invention, a detent mechanism contained in a body 38 which is located co-axially with the cylinder 1 and secured inside the cylinder 1 by means of a nut 39. The body 38 is provided with radial ports moving in which are detents 40 and an axial stepped passage 41 which accommodates a pusher 42 whose side surface has chamfers 43 interacting with the detents 40 in the course of axial movements of the pusher 42.

The detents 40 have grooves 44 adapted to accommodate pins 45 secured in the body 38 of the device 37 so as to prevent the detents 40 from dropping out of their place.

The rear end face 46 of the ram 2 has a cylindrical recess 47 with an annular projection 48 interacting with the detents 40 of the device 37 in the course of operation of the apparatus.

The body 38 of the device 37 has a through passage 49 running close to the wall of the cylinder 1 and connecting the behind-the-ram chamber 4 of the cylinder 1 with the receiver 7 through a line 50 and a non-return valve 51.

Secured outside the body 38 of the device 37 is a power cylinder 52; at one side its piston 53 has a cylindrical recess 54 which accommodates a rod 55 of the pusher 42 and at the other side the piston is pivotally connected to a rod 56 of a control slide valve 57 secured to the power cylinder 52 and hydraulically linked with a time relay mechanism 58.

The time relay mechanism 58 comprises three hydraulic cylinders 59a, 59b and 59c operating in succession; they are provided with rods 60a, 60b and 600 adjustable for length and interacting with rods 61a, 61b

and 610 of slide valves 62a, 62b and 62c, respectively, of a control unit 63.

The principle of operation of the apparatus for producing impulse liquid jets is as follows.

Perparatory to operation, when the ram 2 is in its extreme left position (as shown in the drawing), the receiver 7 and the behind-the-ram chamber 4 of the cylinder l are filled with gas until its pressure reaches a certain value. In operation, the gas circulates through an enclosed space and is not consumed. Losses through leaky connections are replenished from time to time.

Once the operator has cut in the hydraulic unit 25, the oil from a high-pressure pump 64 flows through a passage 65 of the slide valve 62a incorporated into the control unit 63 and reaches, through a line 66, the power cylinders 30 which cause the sliding sleeve 29 to move so as to close the ports 28 of the cylinder 1.

At the same time, the'oil flowing through a passage 67 of the slide valve 62b incorporated into the control unit 63 and through the line 24 enters the hydraulic cylinder 23 of the resetting mechanism 17, causing the piston 21 and the slide block 19 linked with the piston to move so as to close the passage 15 in the nozzle 14 and to place the space 16 of the chamber 10 in communication with the liquid supply line 8 connected to a highpressure pump (not shown).

At the same time, the liquid from the line 8 flows through the throttle valve 9 and passages 20 of the chamber 10 into the before-the-ram chamber 5 of the cylinder 1, causing the ram 2 with the rod 3 to move into its extreme right position.

Owing to the presence of the throttle valve 9, the pressure of liquid in the space 16 of the chamber 10 is somewhat higher than that in the before-thc-ram chamber 5 so that as a result the floating piston 12 moves into its extreme right position and the space 16 is filled with liquid.

In moving to the right, the ram 2 expells compressed gas from the behind-the-ram chamber 4 of the cylinder 1 into the receiver 7 through the ports 6.

When the ports 6 are closed by the ram 2 due to its further movement to the right, the remaining gas is partly forced into the receiver 7 through the passage 49, line 50 and non-return valve 51.

At the end of the stroke, the ram 2 comes abutting with its recess against the internal face of the pusher 42 and moves the latter to the right so that the chamfers 43 of the pusher 42 interact with the detents 40 causing them to move apart.

When the ram 2 comes abutting with its end face 46 against the end face 68 of the device 37, the compressed gas still present in the chamber 4 of the cylinder 1 causes the ram 2 to move somewhat to the left until the annual projection 48 of its recess 47 comes into the engagement with the detents 40 of the arrangement 37 which arrests in this way the ram 2 in its extreme right position after the resetting.

When the pusher 42 moves to the right, its rod 55 acts through the piston 53 of the power cylinder 52 on the rod 56 of the slide valve 57 which admits oil from a low-pressure pump 69 into a line 70 and thence into the hydraulic cylinder 59a of the time relay mechanism 58, causing its rod 60a to move. This rod 60a acts upon the rod 61a of the slide valve 62a incorporated into the control unit 63 which initiates the discharge of oil from the space 30b of the power cylinder 30. As a result, the compressed gas entering the space 30a from the receiver 7 causes the sliding sleeve 29 to move to the right so as to open the ports 28 in the cylinder 1 and enable oil to discharge from the before-the-ram chamber 5.

After that, the oil delivered by the low-pressure pump 69 through the slide valve 62a of the control unit 63 enters the hydraulic cylinder 59b, causing to move its piston 60b which acts upon the slide valve 62b of the control unit 63 after a preset interval of time. The control unit initiates the discharge of oil from the hydraulic cylinder 23 of the resetting mechanism 17 with the re sult that the compressed gas entering the pneumatic cylinder 26 of said mechanism 17 from the receiver 7 causes the slide block 19 to open the passage 19 in the nozzle 14. j

In this position the apparatus is ready for spouting out a jet.

At the next instant, the oil from the low-pressure pump 69 passes through the slide valve 62b of the control unit 63 and enters the hydraulic cylinder 59c of the time relay mechanism 58, causing its rod 600 to move so as to act on the slide valve 620 which, in its turn, admits oil from the high-pressure pump 64.

The oil delivered by the pump 64 through a passage 71 and a line 72 enters the space 73 of the power cylinder 52 and causes its piston 53 to move to the left so that the rod 55 of the pusher 42 is also moved to the left. The detents 40 released by the action disengage the annular projection 48 of the ram 2 set free the ram held hitherto arrested in the position ready for operation.

After that, the ram 2 is accelerated inside the cylinder 1 by compressed gas admitted into the before theram chamber 4 of the cylinder 1 from the receiver 7 through the ports 6 and, on possessing adequate kinetic energy, the ram strikes with its rod 3 against the floating piston 12 which, in its turn, produces an impact on the liquid contained in the space 16 of the chamber 10,

causing it to spout out forcibly through the passage of the nozzle 14.

Moving to the left simultaneously with the piston 53 of the power cylinder 52 is the rod 56 of the slide valve 57 which admits oil from the pump 69 through a line 74 simultaneously into the spaces 75a, 75b and 75c of the hydraulic cylinders 59a, 59b and 59c, respectively, to return their pistons with the rods 60a, 60b and 600 into the initial position. After that the cycle of operation is repeated.

of the same power cylinder 52 is placed into communication with the hydraulic unit 25 and with a draining line through valves 75 and 76. This allows to simulate th operation of the apparatus by running the hydraulic unit alone while no high-pressure liquid is being admitted into the before-the-ram chamber 5 of the cylinder 1 and the space 16 of the chamber 10 To enable visual monitoring of the moving pusher 42 during the operation or when the apparatus is being adjusted, an index 77 is fitted to the rod 56 of the slide valve 57.

The tests performed have proved that the apparatus for producing impulse liquid jets disclosed herein has a number of advantages over known apparatuses of similar kind. The main advantages are as follows.

By.virtue of the device 37 serving the purpose of arresting the ram 2, as reset into the position ready for operation, with provision for the automatic control of the period of arresting, the force of impacts of impulse jets has been remarkably increased and so has been the distance of its effective action. This has paved the way to using the apparatus disclosed herein in installations for breaking down hard rock.

Moreover, the apparatus embodied according to the invention can be readily monitored for proper operation of all components and adjusted for a rate of deliveryv of jets so as to obtain an optimum number of impulses possessing adequate force of impact and assure stable operation of the apparatus during protracted periods.

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus for producing impulse liquid jets comprising a hollow cylinder; a ram with a rod; said ram contained in the bore of said cylinder and dividing said bore into two chambers; a vessel with compressed gas; a first of said chambers connected to said vessel with compressed gas serving to accelerate said ram in said bore of cylinder; a second of said chambers connected to a source of liquid, said liquid fed under pressure into said second chamber for resetting said ram into a position ready for operation and discharged by the moment the ram starts its movement in said first chamber under the action of compressed gas; a highpressure chamber adjoining said second chamber of cylinder and provided with an axial through passage moving inside which is the rod of said ram, said axial passage filled with a liquid and serving the purpose of spouting the liquid out in ajet as a result of an impact of said rod while said ram is being accelerated by compressed gas; a controllable device secured in said first chamber of the cylinder close to its rear end face and serving the purpose of arresting said ram in the position ready for operation while the liquid is being discharged from said second chamber.

2. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 in which said device for arresting said ram comprises a detent mechanism contained in a body arranged co-axially with said cylinder and provided with radial ports in which detents move so as to interact, when said apparatus is set into operation, with a projection in a recess available in the rear end face of said ram.

3. An apparatus as claimed in claim 2 in which an axial through passage is provided in said body of said detent mechanism for the purpose of controlling the latter by means of a pusher moving in said passage so that the internal end of said pusher interacts with the bottom of said recess in the rear end face 0 said ram; said pusher having chamfers on its side surface which interact with said detents in the course of axial movements of said pusher.

4. An apparatus as claimed in claim 3 in which a rod of said pusher interacts with a piston of a power cylinder adjoining the body of said detent mechanism; said power cylinder by being controlled by a slide valve linked with a time relay mechanism.

5. An apparatus as claimed in claim 4 in which said time relay mechanism comprises three hydraulic cylinders operated in succession and provided with rods adjustable for length. 

1. An apparatus for producing impulse liquid jets comprising a hollow cylinder; a ram with a rod; said ram contained in the bore of said cylinder and dividing said bore into two chambers; a vessel with compressed gas; a first of said chambers connected to said vessel with compressed gas serving to accelerate said ram in said bore of cylinder; a second of said chambers connected to a source of liquid, said liquid fed under pressure into said second chamber for resetting said ram into a position ready for operation and discharged by the moment the ram starts its movement in said first chamber under the action of compressed gas; a high-pressure chamber adjoining said second chamber of cylinder and provided with an axial through passage moving inside which is the rod of said ram, said axial passage filled with a liquid and serving the purpose of spouting the liquid out in a jet as a result of an impact of said rod while said ram is being accelerated by compressed gas; a controllable device secured in said first chamber of the cylinder close to its reAr end face and serving the purpose of arresting said ram in the position ready for operation while the liquid is being discharged from said second chamber.
 2. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 in which said device for arresting said ram comprises a detent mechanism contained in a body arranged co-axially with said cylinder and provided with radial ports in which detents move so as to interact, when said apparatus is set into operation, with a projection in a recess available in the rear end face of said ram.
 3. An apparatus as claimed in claim 2 in which an axial through passage is provided in said body of said detent mechanism for the purpose of controlling the latter by means of a pusher moving in said passage so that the internal end of said pusher interacts with the bottom of said recess in the rear end face of said ram; said pusher having chamfers on its side surface which interact with said detents in the course of axial movements of said pusher.
 4. An apparatus as claimed in claim 3 in which a rod of said pusher interacts with a piston of a power cylinder adjoining the body of said detent mechanism; said power cylinder by being controlled by a slide valve linked with a time relay mechanism.
 5. An apparatus as claimed in claim 4 in which said time relay mechanism comprises three hydraulic cylinders operated in succession and provided with rods adjustable for length. 